<p>Can someone break the Medical School process down for me a little please? I caught this early on so bear with me. I'm majoring in Psychology in undergrad. I want to continue my education to become a Psychiatrist in Medical School. I have 2-3 years left in undergrad. I know I have to take the MCAT. Some medical school requirements are to take 2 semesters of calculus, biology, and physics plus some other courses that I've already taken. But as far as applying to a program for Psychiatry will that be on the application or will I have to put that down? Because looking at different programs it's hard to find what I'm looking for dealing with Psychiatry. I'm trying to get all the information I can together early. Also if you have any suggestions about schools or programs I'd love to hear them. Or if you just want to let's know something about medical school or your experiences even if it's not in Psychiatry I'd love to hear that also. Thank you :-).</p>
<p>You cannot become a psychiatrist until you go through all of medical school first. Medical school prepares you to be a general physician with the ability to specialize in any field you wish. It depends on the school, but most of them follow this pattern: Spend two years doing “basic” sciences (pharmacology, biochemistry, pathophysiology, etc.), spend 48 weeks in 6 clinical rotations (internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, and psychiatry), and then a year of elective time (where you take on a little bit more responsibility in a field or explore other fields like radiology, dermatology, neurology, etc.). If you are interested in going into psychiatry still, then at the beginning of fourth year, you would go through a “match” process and interview for several psychiatry programs. You would have to do an “intern” year, where you would serve as an physician most likely mostly in internal medicine, and three years of a psychiatry residency. Only after that would you be qualified to work as a board certified psychiatrist.</p>
<p>I know your suppose to go to Medical School to become a Psychiatrist.</p>
<p>I was trying to figure out would I have to go through all those courses even if I wanted to become a Psychiatrist. Thanks for your information.</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>You might want to read up on other options in clinical psych practice if you don’t want to go through all of the premed/medical schools/internship process: [Clinical</a> Psychology [Psy.D. / Ph.D.] - Student Doctor Network Forums](<a href=“Psychology [Psy.D. / Ph.D.] | Student Doctor Network”>Psychology [Psy.D. / Ph.D.] | Student Doctor Network)</p>
<p>Why I still be able to become a Psychiatrist and not a Psychologist though? I been given the wrong information for years and I’m trying to get set straight now. I almost ended up making a big mistake. By any chance did you go to medical school and if so what did you go for?</p>
<p>I meant will sorry for that typo</p>
<p>Check out how the field of psychiatry has changed. A lot of psychiatrist now see 4-8 patients an hour, adjust their meds and send them to the Social worker or Psychologist for thereapy…</p>
<p>Paradigm shift aside. The only major thing psychiatrists can do that psychologists don’t is prescribe medicine. </p>
<p>I agree that you should really explore these two fields as they are drifting further apart (thanks to the way insurance works) with psychiatrists becoming medication managers and psychologists interacting and talking with patients.</p>